SURVIVE

Grammar Features:
a. ability (can, could, be able to, managed to)
b. adverbs of manner

Source:
New Total English Pre-Intermediate
 Ability in the Present
(can/can’t)
Pattern: Subject + can/can’t + VERB 1

To talk about ability in the present

(can/can’t)

e.g. Ben can swim very well.

He can’t speak any other languages.
 Ability in the Past
(could or was/were able to or managed to)
Pattern:
Subject + could / was/were able to / managed to + VERB 1

To talk about general ability in the past in positive sentences or to show

1 skills or talents a person once had
(could or *was/were able to)

e.g. The candidates needed to show what they could do.

*The candidates needed to show what they were able to do.
 To talk about ability in the past on one specific occasion in positive
2 sentences or to note a specific achievement
(was/were able to or managed to)

e.g. He was able to/managed to convince the interviewers that he was

the best person for the job yesterday.

To talk about inability in the past on one specific occasion in negative

3 sentences.
(couldn’t or wasn’t/weren’t able to or didn’t manage to)

e.g. He couldn’t/wasn’t able to/didn’t manage to do everything they

asked him in the interview.
Look at the words in italics. Decide if one or both
of the options is/are correct.
1. I can/can’t see you on Friday but I can/can’t meet you on
Saturday evening.
2. I couldn’t/wasn’t able to hear what the candidate was saying.
3. I could/was able to speak three languages fluently by the time I
was nine.
4. The interview went well. I could/managed to impress them with
my answers.
 Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner tell us about verbs. There are some irregular adverbs.
They describe how somebody does something or how
something happens. Adjectives Adverbs
good well
Most adverbs of manner are formed by adding –ly to fast fast
the adjective. hard hard
e.g. quick  quickly
late late
*Adjectives tell us about nouns.
early early
When the adjective ends in –y, change the –y to i and daily daily
add –ly. straight straight
e.g. angry  angrily wrong wrong/wrongly
 Adverbs of Manner (cont.)

Adverbs of manner generally come at the end of a clause.

To emphasize the meaning, put adverbs of manner:

a. directly before the main verb, or
b. at the beginning of the sentence

An adverb of manner cannot be put between the main verb

and the object.
Choose the correct words in italics.
1. I completed the application form very careful/carefully.

2. He was happy/happily to receive a bonus at the end of the

year.

3. Sad/Sadly, he stood up and left the interview room.

4. I’m going to complain because the interviewer was very

rude/rudely to me.